The Boucle de l’Étoile gives access to patients in remission from cancer: a challenge of solidarity and accessibility.
The La Boucle de l’Étoile Trek, Trail and Ultra Trail is not just a race across the majestic expanses of the Moroccan Oriental desert, it’s a solidarity event. A gathering of people from diverse backgrounds to take up a personal and collective challenge.
This unique event offers several distances: 84 km, 104 km and 126 km, enabling participants to measure themselves against an environment as demanding as it is extraordinary.
For its first edition, La Boucle de l’Étoile is taking on a special dimension by opening its doors to people in remission from cancer, who will be able to take part in the 84 km Trek. 3 loops in 3 days of walking.
This event represents an exceptional opportunity to change environment, escape and reconnect.
La Boucle de l’Étoile: A solidarity race in the heart of the desert, held in Morocco’s Oriental desert, La Boucle de l’Étoile stands out for its commitment to solidarity and the environment. In addition to highlighting the beauty and richness of the Oriental region, walkers and runners are involved in a number of important causes. Among these, support for cancer sufferers holds a special place. The 84 km course, although designed for runners, is also accessible to those who wish to walk it, with a particular focus on patients in remission. This format is a first of its kind for a desert race.
Why participate by walking when you’re in remission from cancer?
A message of resilience and strength
For people in remission from cancer, walking 84 km in the desert over 3 days in 3 Loops is not just a physical challenge, it’s a powerful symbol of resilience. Going through illness is an everyday ordeal, and this walk is an opportunity to show that recovery is not just a question of treatment, but also of mental and physical renewal. Taking part in La Boucle de l’Étoile by walking means embracing this resilience and showing it to yourself first, and sharing this strength with others.
Reconnect body and mind
After months or years of treatment, resuming physical activity can be a liberating act. Walking offers a gentle form of exercise, adapted to each individual’s physical capabilities, without pressure to perform. The natural, soothing setting of the desert also offers a moment of profound reconnection with oneself. Walking thus becomes a meditation in motion, a moment to recharge one’s batteries, far from the stresses and preoccupations of everyday life.
An inclusive and supportive event
The Boucle de l’Étoile makes a point of being inclusive. All participants, whether walkers, athletes, professional runners, amateurs or patients in remission, share the same route, the same challenge, and above all, the same objective: to go to the very end of oneself in a spirit of solidarity. It’s a unique opportunity to meet people from all walks of life, share experiences and build an extraordinary human adventure together.
Practical aspects for patients in remission
For patients in remission who wish to participate by walking, special supervision will be provided. Our medical team will be on hand all along the route and at the Bivouac to ensure the safety of participants. Appropriate refreshments will also be provided, with rest points to allow walkers to take their time and listen to their bodies.
No stopwatch, just the pleasure of walking
Unlike the traditional competition where the stopwatch is king, participants walking the 84 km will not be under any time pressure. The objective is simple: to complete the course at your own pace, with no constraints. This format offers total flexibility, allowing everyone to enjoy the desert and the experience to the full, without being pressured to perform thanks to the defined time barriers.
Cyril Marchand #BoucleEtoile
